Field Trips for WSTA 2017!
ARE CLOSED
NOTE: Buses and all transport will leave and return to the Pasco Red Lion NOT the school! There is NO on site event(s) at the High School Campus on Friday!
Description of Field Trips
All Field Trips are $30 per person.
Please note the HANFORD B Reactor Trip MUST be booked by Friday Oct 6th! Extra information from YOU is required. Please read instructions carefully!
No guarantees...trips will be cancelled if insufficient numbers by 1 week prior to meeting.
LIGO Hanford Observatory, 127124 North Route 10, Richland Wa 99354. Half day. Morning or afternoon.
SIGN UP FOR EITHER THE MORNING OR THE AFTERNOON SESSION
Washington State and Louisiana house two of the world’s most sensitive measuring instruments: the LIGO interferometers. These facilities are funded by the National Science Foundation and operated by Caltech and MIT. LIGOs mission is to detect and study cosmic gravitational waves.
These waves are ripples in the fabric of space-time that were predicted by Einstein in the General Theory of Relativity. At LIGO, we had the first ever direct detection of gravitational waves on September 14, 2015. LIGO draws from and adds to the newest knowledge in gravitational physics, astrophysics, and astronomy. Visit the facility and learn about this great aspect of physical laws.
Terra Blanca Winery and Estate Vineyard Half day afternoon
The elegant and luxurious winery is surrounded by acres of lush landscaping and waterfalls. Take in the view of a sea of vines, the Yakima River, quaint Benton City and the rolling Horse Heaven Hills while sipping on the award-winning, estate produced wines on the Terrace at Terra Blanca. For an unforgettable experience, journey underground beneath the tasting room to explore Terra Blanca’s barrel caves, the largest of its kind in the state of Washington.
Ste. Michelle Estates WSU Wine Science Center Half day, morning or afternoon.
The Ste. Michelle Wine Estates WSU Wine Science Center opened June 4, 2015, on the Washington State University Tri-Cities campus in the heart of Washington Wine Country. This 40,000-square-foot facility includes a state-of-the-art research and teaching winery, research laboratories, classrooms and meeting spaces that serve as a gathering place for industry members, students and visiting scholars from around the world. The WSU Viticulture and Enology Program, directed by world-renowned wine microbiologist Dr. Thomas Henick-Kling.
Hanford Historic B Reactor. Four hours, staggered schedule
The Hanford B reactor is where history was made and history was changed. See the actual reactor where the first plutonium was produced which helped usher in the Atomic Age. “The B Reactor National Historic Landmark is now also a component of the newly created, three-location
Manhattan Project National Historical Park. Signed into law December 2014, under the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the B Reactor and historic town sites on the Hanford site, will join the other Manhattan Project sites at Los Alamos, New Mexico, and Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to create an unparalleled visitor experience inside these marvels of 20th century science and technology. The B Reactor is the world’s first production-scale nuclear reactor, and was created as part of the top secret Manhattan Project during World War II. B Reactor was built in just 11 months, without the help of computers or even final scale drawings, and produced plutonium for the first atomic explosion, the Trinity test in New Mexico on July 16th, 1945, and for the Fatman bomb, which helped to bring an end to World War II.
Tour 1 – 43 Seats (if needed we could fit 45 Max.) 9:00 a.m. Introduction Ends 1 pm
Tour 2 – 24 Seats 11:45 a.m. Introduction. Ends 3:45 pm
I will need these names byFriday, October 6, 2017.
For participants under the age of 18, a parent or legal guardian must read and sign a release form outlining the potential hazards at the facility, and his/her responsibilities for supervising his/her child.
To enjoy this tour, you should be able to stand for up to 30 minutes, walk short distances, and withstand temperatures over 90 degrees in the summer. You must also be able to read and comprehend all mandated Hanford safety awareness information. Guests are required to stay on the tour path and follow the instructions of escorts at all times.
Before or after your tour, you can learn more about the world-changing history, science and engineering behind the Manhattan Project and B Reactor, as well as the history of Native American and early settler populations at the Hanford Site, with videos produced by the B Reactor Museum Association and the Atomic Heritage Foundation.
The Reach Museum Half day, morning or afternoon.
The REACH is a storytelling center that inspires learning and celebrates the natural, scientific, and cultural history of the Tri-Cities region through engaging exhibits, educational programs, special events, and guided tours. Visitors can live the story of our region’s history and culture through gallery exhibits. Conference attendees will be treated to gorgeous views of the Columbia River and the shrub-steppe landscape of the Tri-Cities. Explore the outdoor exhibit at The REACH and learn about the flora and fauna that call the Tri-Cities home.
Wind Farm, McNary Dam, Sage Museum. Full Day
Energy… Learn all about the different forms of energy that is available in Eastern Washington. You will visit a wind farm, McNary Dam, and the Sage Center, a museum about agriculture and energy. 8am-1 pm
Maximum 26 people
Ice Age Floods and Vineyards… Ride along with Bruce Bjornstad, Ice Age Flood expert, to learn about the Ice Floods and how they impacted the AVA’s and growing of grapes. Meet the grape growers and learn from them on how they chose the type of grape that would do best in their area. 8am -1pm
Maximum 26 people
Ice Age/Mammoth Dig/Wallula Gap/Devils Canyon …Full day.
The tour will be led by Gary Kleinknecht, an expert in the field of Ice Age Floods. It will begin with a trip to the Coyote Canyon Mammoth dig site and then to Wallula Gap and Devils Canyon. 8am-4pm Maximum 26 people
Farm to Table… WSU Ag Research Station, Sunheaven Farms (onions, sugar beets), irrigation, Chukar Cherries Full day 8am – 4pm
The day is spent learning about how our food is grown and what it takes to get it to the table. The day begins with a tour of the WSU Ag Research Station and then on to Sunheaven Farms to learn about growing of onions and sugar beets and how important irrigation is to the process. Our last stop is Chukar Cherries for a tasting. 8am – 4pm
. Maximum 26 people